World’s coolest neighbourhoods revealed – including UK’s No.1

Baltic Triangle just misses out on top 10 spot in annual list

The world’s coolest neighbourhoods in 2023 have been revealed in Time Out’s annual list.

The 40-strong ranking includes cities from around the world, and was compiled based on a survey of 12,000 respondents to create a shortlist. This was then whittled down by the publication’s experts and city editors, who assessed factors including community and social ventures, access to open and green space, and thriving street life.

The UK’s highest performer was not in the capital but in Liverpool; the Baltic Triangle district just missed out on a top 10 spot, coming in 11th place.

Formerly a collection of unoccupied shipping warehouses, the area is now home to the “best restaurateurs, artists and creatives in the city”, according to Time Out, which commended it as a place to “experience the city’s younger side”.

Elsewhere in the UK, Leith in Edinburgh placed 16th, Glasgow’s West End came 20th, and King’s Cross in London was awarded 24th.

Half of the top 10 were located in Europe, with Smithfield in Dublin (Ireland), Carabanchel in Madrid (Spain), Havnen in Copenhagen (Denmark), Isola in Milan (Italy), and Amsterdam West (the Netherlands) coming 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 8th and 9th respectively.

The coolest neigbourhood in the world, however, was deemed to be Laureles in Medellín, Colombia. It was praised for its famed nightlife strip known as La 70; a “laidback reputation”; an enhanced restaurant scene; “tranquillity in the form of parks, tree-lined streets, yoga studios and countless coffee shops”; and the retention of its “traditional Colombian neighbourhood feel”.

The remaining top 10 consisted of: Hong Kong’s Sheung Wan, Melbourne’s Brunswick East (Australia), New Orleans’ Mid-City (USA) and Tokyo’s Tomigaya (Japan).

Top 40 coolest neighbourhoods

1. Laureles, Medellín, Colombia
2. Smithfield, Dublin, Ireland
3. Carabanchel, Madrid, Spain
4. Havnen, Copenhagen, Denmark
5. Sheung Wan, Hong Kong
6. Brunswick East, Melbourne, Australia
7. Mid-City, New Orleans, USA
8. Isola, Milan, Italy
9. Amsterdam West, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
10. Tomigaya, Tokyo, Japan
11. Baltic Triangle, Liverpool, UK
12. Cours Julien, Marseille, France
13. Arts District, Los Angeles, USA
14. Chinatown, Singapore
15. Fort Greene, New York City, USA
16. Leith, Edinburgh, UK
17. Enmore, Sydney, Australia
18. Costa da Caparica, Almada, Portugal
19. Hyde Park, Chicago, USA
20. West End, Glasgow, UK
21. Sea Point, Cape Town, South Africa
22. Neukölln, Berlin, Germany
23. Haut-Marais, Paris, France
24. King’s Cross, London, UK
25. Hannam-dong, Seoul, South Korea
26. Coral Gables, Miami, USA
27. Richmond District, San Francisco, USA
28. Vinohrady, Prague, Czech Republic
29. El Clot, Barcelona, Spain
30. San Miguel Chapultepec, Mexico City, Mexico
31. Exarcheia, Athens, Greece
32. Bebek, Istanbul, Turkey
33. Ponsonby, Auckland, New Zealand
34. Zhongshan, Taipei, Taiwan
35. Bonifacio Global City (BGC), Manila, Philippines
36. Downtown, Montreal, Canada
37. Dotonbori, Osaka, Japan
38. The Annex, Toronto, Canada
39. Song Wat, Bangkok, Thailand
40. Cantonments, Accra, Ghana